


Homebase Invasion Victor

by emwebb17



Category: Original Work
Genre: immunology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-29
Updated: 2013-07-29
Packaged: 2017-12-21 17:04:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/902732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emwebb17/pseuds/emwebb17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story written with the challenge of what if our immune system was sentient?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Homebase Invasion Victor

Prologue

 

            A small, thin woman sat in a hard, wooden chair with her fingers wrapped around the dark, greasy hair of one of her detainers.  The man grunted and strained against the woman’s amazingly strong grip.  The other man in the room didn’t attempt to help his comrade.

            “Mrs. Canon,” spoke the soldier, “I realize you’re upset.  But you cannot leave this inquiry until we’re finished questioning you.  And we can’t finish questioning you until you release Ensign Pepper’s hair.”

            Mrs. Canon watched with annoyance as the man nonchalantly sipped his tea.  She gave a final tug of the youth’s hair and then let him go.  The ensign stumbled back, rubbing his head.  He didn’t get paid enough for this kind of shit.

            “Mrs. Canon, your cooperation is greatly appreciated.  This whole incident can be resolved quickly with little more than that.  Now, please tell us, where is your son?”

            “Why?  So you can force him into this slave institution that you call the Defense System?  My husband died working for you people, and he never saw his second child as a result of his obligations.”

            “Your husband died doing his duty,” barked the young officer.

            “Settle down, ensign,” said the soldier.  “Duty and honor are not convincing arguments to those who have lost a loved one.  But, we are not here to discuss Lt. Col. Canon’s death.  We are here because Mrs. Canon is breaking ordinance 4 of the 6th Law of the Doctrine of Corporation, which states:  ‘All children upon reaching their fourth birthday are to be submitted to the Defense System Screening Process.’  You are aware of this law, are you not, Mrs. Canon?”

            “I am.  As I recall, I failed the screening miserably.”

            “Yes, the overwhelming majority fail the screening process; that is why it is imperative that all children be screened so that we continually matriculate new trainees.”

            “To train them for death?”

            “Mrs. Canon,” the soldier spoke sharply.  His composure was slipping.  He set down his tea and stood up slowly.  He smoothed down the front of his white uniform and walked around the table to stand in front of the woman whose dark eyes were nearly lost in shadow.  “I know it is difficult to hand your child over to the monsters that killed your husband, but your son may be vital to the survival of this kingdom.”

            Mrs. Canon would not ask what he was referring to, but her silence was a clear indication of her curiosity.  The soldier continued.

            “Your husband had a very special ability that kept us protected from the Revisionists.  You’re old enough to remember what happened the last time the Revisionists invaded us.  Your husband alone is what has protected us from them for the last 15 years.  It is very likely that your son inherited this ability.  We need him.  Corporda needs him.  Your son could be the savior of us all.”

            “But you already tested my son and he failed the screening!”

            “Your first son, yes, Mrs. Canon.  But your second child, the only one of your two sons who is biologically related to Lt. Col. Canon, he could have inherited the—”

            He broke off as he realized his tone had risen in pitch.  He straightened and ran his hands down the front of his uniform again.

            “Your son may have inherited his father’s abilities.  It is imperative that—”

“Thomas Canon’s son is dead.”

The fluorescent light’s buzzing flickered and stopped.  The three waited in near perfect silence.  The ensign’s step forward clacked harshly on the concrete floor.

“Run that by us again.”

“My youngest son, Timothy, died of heart complications last year.  My oldest son, Alexander, who has already failed the screening is _all_ I have left in the world.”

The soldier cleared his throat.  “I’m sorry.  I was informed your eldest son died from a malformed valve.”

“Well, you were informed wrong.  Or are you going to deny that the Defense System could ever be wrong?”

The men looked at their toes.  The ensign muttered under his breath and picked up a folder off the table on his way out the door.  The remaining soldier clasped his hands behind his back.  He looked Mrs. Canon in the eyes.

“I’m sorry for your losses.  It was our error.  You are free to go and we shan’t bother you again.  However,” the soldier bent at the waist, eyes still locked on the fearless woman, “should I discover you’ve lied to us here today, it won’t just be you who suffers.”

The woman ground her teeth as she watched the soldier exit.  Two more came in to replace him and escort her out.  Mrs. Canon walked stiffly back through the labyrinthine hallways, just as lost as she had been on the way in.  Eventually the halls emptied out into the large lobby of the Defense System.  It was bustling with activity in stark contrast to the silent, militant passages.

Mrs. Canon spotted the soldier in his impeccable uniform standing near her son.  She broke into a fast gait and crossed the lobby, calling out her son’s name.

“Alex, Alexander!  Come here!”

The small, fair-haired boy gave one last look to the tall soldier and then hopped off the bench.  He went obediently to his mother and allowed her to swing him up into her arms.  Mrs. Canon gave the soldier one last, hard look before exiting the Defense System for the last time.  Her car was parked three blocks down on the left.  She was almost home free.

“Mommy?” asked Mrs. Canon’s son in a soft voice, “how long do I have to pretend to be Alex?”

“Just for a little while longer, baby.  Just a little while longer.”

 

 

Story

 

“But, doesn’t it bother you?  I mean, he’s so…”

“Cold.”

Saccade stuck her fork in her salad and looked up at her two friends.  She wondered why she surrounded herself with blondes:  her friends, her co-workers, her fiancée.  They were all blonde.  It was kind of strange and against the odds since most people in Corporda were dark-haired.  She opened her mouth to point this out to her friends, but one of them cut her off.

“And don’t try to change the subject.  We’re talking about your fiancé and we’re staying on that topic until we get some satisfactory answers,” said Iris, pointing a freshly manicured, red nail across the table.

“Yeah,” said Olla, “we need to hear more.  You’re misrepresenting him.”

“No, I’m not!”  Saccade said with a laugh.  She pushed a dark strand of hair behind her ear.  “Everything I’ve told you is true.  He’s a genius and he gets wrapped up in things that catch his attention.  Almost to the point of the exclusion of everything and everyone else.”

“But, you’re his fiancée!  Shouldn’t he care about you?”

“He does care about me.  He spends a lot of time with me, but he gives me space.  I’ve dated a lot of guys and they always suffocated me.  He lets me breathe.  And I don’t hold him back when he needs to go somewhere and do something.  We’re perfect for each other.”

The two women chewed their salads and wouldn’t look at Saccade, taking note of the other patrons at the outdoor café instead.

“Don’t be jealous,” the brunette admonished.

“We’re not jealous,” said Iris, “we’re just upset that you’re _engaged_ and we’ve never even met the guy!”

“Well, you can meet me now.”

The three women started in surprise and Olla let out a squeal.  A young man who had yet to shed the remnants of boyhood turned a chair backward and straddled it.  He rested his tan arms on the back of the chair and grinned at the women, flashing perfect, white teeth.  Fine, honey-colored hair was pulled back in a short ponytail, while thin wisps fell down the sides of his face, drawing attention to high cheekbones and very dark eyes.

Iris and Olla’s eyes traveled up and down what they could see of his lean, hard body and small smiles crept onto their faces.  Saccade cleared her throat and her friends attempted to look at her.

“Iris, Olla, this is my fiancé, Alexander Canon.  Lex, this is my friend Olla and my colleague Iris.”

Lex stuck a hand out across the table.  His “nice to meet you” was cut off as both the women grabbed for his hand at the same time.  They stopped, smiled embarrassedly, and then shook his hand one at a time.  Lex smiled on.

“Lex,” said Saccade, “I thought you have work now.”

“I do.  So, how long have you two known Super Spy here?”

“I’ve known her since our first day at preschool,” said Olla.  “I’m her best friend you know.”

“And I’ve been working with her for five years now,” said Iris.

“Why aren’t you at work, Lex?”

Lex faced his fiancée and shrugged.  “I got bored.”

“You can’t leave work just because you’re bored.”

“Why not?  What are they going to do?  Fire me?  The last thing anybody in this kingdom wants is someone out of place.  They don’t know what to do with me, so they let me do what I want as long as I still fill out the proper forms at the end of the year and pay my taxes.”

“But, that’s not fair to everyone else who does work.  If everyone adopted your attitude, we would all suffer because nothing got done.  That’s why we should all work together.”

“Yes, we should all work together.  But it is a statistical certainty that there are cheaters in every society.”

“But, don’t you—”

“Oh, leave him alone, Saccade,” said Iris.

“Yeah, he does enough for society aesthetically,” Olla sighed.

Lex smiled at the petite, blonde woman and gave her a wink.  Saccade rolled her eyes and sipped her water grumpily.  Iris and Olla opened their mouths to begin a tirade of questions, but Lex looked at a non-existent watch on his wrist and interrupted them.

“I’m sorry, ladies, but I’ve got to go visit my mother: it’s laundry day and I’m down to my last pair of skivvies.”

The women giggled at the mention of Lex’s skivvies.  He rose from the chair and leaned over to Saccade.  “I’ll see you tonight?”  She nodded, still scowling.  Lex leaned forward and kissed her goodbye, giving a show of tongue and teeth for her friends.  Lex pulled back and kissed Saccade’s blushing cheek and then gave a little wave as he jogged off.  He disappeared into the throngs of people on the sidewalk and Saccade forced her body to come back under control.  She just managed to keep from blushing again as her friends looked at her with smirking expressions, suggesting most inappropriate thoughts.

“Well, he’s cute,” said Olla.

“And fun,” said Iris.

“A little young though.  How old is he?”

Saccade had not introduced her friends to Lex for just that reason.  “He’s 20.”

“Ooo!” Olla cried.  “Robbing the cradle.  I never would have expected that of you.”

“He’s not that young!”

“But you’re seven years older than him,” said Iris.

“Almost eight,” Olla chimed in.

“Thank you, I’m aware,” said Saccade, her mood growing darker.

“But I don’t blame you,” said Olla.  “If he weren’t your fiancé, I would totally have him tied to my bedposts.  Now, on to something _very_ important.  What color will the bridesmaid dresses be?”

 

 

* * *

 

Aiden stood at one of the freight entrances to Corporda’s mighty steel barrier.  The four-foot thick, 40-foot high, 4000-mile perimeter construction was the largest man-made structure in the world.  Many waves of enemies had crashed against its sides to no avail.  And even if a lone soldier managed to get through, the kingdom’s legendary Defense System would obliterate him within seconds.  Corporda was virtually impregnable.

The tall man stood in the bright sunlight, feeling its warmth on his strong, handsome features.  His body was an ideal of physical health and beauty.  His training and conditioning had gone on for thirty years since his fifth birthday.  He had carried out smaller missions with perfect execution.  Those successes compounded with his quick wit and undeniable charm had made him the unanimous selection for this mission.  Aiden was an agent that rivaled the Paradigm.  _They_ thought he might finally be the one to bring down Corporda.  And for just that purpose he had received special training and taken hours of classes that were all designed to help him break past Corporda’s defenses.

Aiden looked down at his nails, and then looked left and right.  No one was around.  The automated machine that was driving the kingdom’s garbage out of the barrier was nearly past the steel gates.  Aiden started walking forward and watched the hulking machine rumble past him.  He continued on to the closing gates.  As he passed by the guard post, he looked inside the tiny structure.  A guard dressed in red had his back to Aiden, and his front thrusting into a plain-faced woman with dark hair.  Aiden could hear the woman’s short, pleasure-filled shouts through the bulletproof glass.

Aiden’s expensive, polished shoes crunched over gravel as he entered Corporda’s industrial neighborhood.  The large, impenetrable gates closed and locked behind him, sealing Aiden within the invulnerable kingdom.  Aiden’s practiced, attractive smile slid onto his face as he disappeared down a dark alleyway.

 

* * *

 

Lex sighed as he listened to his mother prattle on and on about the crazy, evil monarchy and their conspiracies to control the people.  He’d been listening to the same inane claims for years.  He didn’t think his mother was silly for thinking those thoughts, but for acting like the rest of the kingdom didn’t know it.  Of course the monarchy controlled everyone and their lives.  Everyone had a place, and if someone wasn’t in their place, they were eliminated.  That’s how life was, right?

“Hey, Ma,” Lex said, standing up.  “I’m gonna go out.”

“What?  Where?”  Mrs. Canon placed her hands on her hips.  Her hands were roughened from decades of housework and her once very appealing figure was now more rotund and sagging in a few places.  While lines creased the corners of her mouth and eyes, her face was still beautiful and her eyes were not dulled in the least.  And she placed those sharp eyes on her son now and lifted an eyebrow.

“Just out, Ma.  I won’t cause trouble.  I just want to do something that isn’t laundry.”

“You could talk to your mother!  You never come to see me anymore!”

“I still live here, Ma!”

Mrs. Canon smiled at her son.  He stood leaning against a windowsill with a warm glow outlining him.  The September sun fell through the glass around him like a velvet cloak.  With his straight, graceful features he looked so much like his father.  Right down to the small frown on his beautiful lips.  There hadn’t been much she could refuse her husband when he pouted like that, and when it came to her son the thought to deny him anything had never crossed her mind.

“I know, darling, but you’re never here.  And you’ll be moving out soon.  Once you marry that hussy.  But, go on out and play.  Will you be home for dinner?”

“No, I’m—” Lex paused.  He couldn’t tell his mom he was going to miss dinner with her to have dinner with the “hussy.”  “Uh, I’m helping Waste Management make their system more efficient.  They leave the gates open too long.”  Not exactly a lie, but he wasn’t helping the WM guys tonight.

“Oh, you’re such a good boy.  So smart, so handsome.  So kind to help others.  One would think you’d have better taste in women.  All right, run along.  But if you’re going to stay out all night, please call me.”

“I will.”

Lex grabbed his ID card from his room and stuck it in his back pocket.  He kissed his mother on the cheek on his way out and closed the door behind him in relief.  He did love his mother, truly, but for twenty years his life had been controlled by that woman.  For twenty years he had been told what to do and what to believe, and worse yet, what to feel.

Meeting Saccade had been a lucky break for him.  He had decided to marry the first girl that didn’t annoy him so that he could move out of his mother’s house.  And in Saccade he found a girl that not only didn’t annoy him, but didn’t suffocate him either.  He even enjoyed her company and found that they had a lot to talk about even if they didn’t share many interests.  He felt a little guilty about their upcoming union:  he cared for Saccade, but he didn’t love her.  And Saccade probably didn’t love him either.  But she was getting close to 30 and it was very unusual for anyone to still be single after 30.  It wasn’t a wise idea to draw attention to oneself, so Saccade needed to get married before anyone took note of her atypical actions.

So, it was a marriage of convenience.  Lex smiled wryly as he passed through the arching gate of InterrikPark.  The sounds of the city immediately receded as the lush, green foliage folded him in the calm solitude of the park.  He wandered down the twisting, well-kept path that led to the center of the park and wondered if he and Saccade would follow the old cliché and come to learn that they are in fact soul mates who share an unquenchable passion.  Lex laughed to himself at the thought and saw the huge magnolia tree that marked his turn off.

_Or maybe I’ll end up running into some poor, unsuspecting girl and find the love of my life and have to have a huge, messy break-up with Saccade._

Lex laughed again and rounded the corner.  He let out a small grunt of pain as he slammed full on into someone else.  He stumbled back, but didn’t fall because the other person grabbed onto his shoulders and steadied him.  Lex shook his head to clear his vision; it had been like running into a brick wall.  Then suddenly, he could feel through the person’s hands that he or she was foreign, not a member of the CorpordaKingdom.  Every cell in his body screamed that this person was an enemy.  Lex looked up and started to struggle, but immediately went still when he saw who was touching him.  The hands pulled away, concerned they had scared Lex, and with the physical contact gone, all sense of danger disappeared.

Lex stared up into a proud and extraordinarily handsome face.  His hair was dark and fine, cut short so as to be manageable and out of the way of large, captivating green eyes.  He was dressed all in black, but no amount of cloth could cover the lean muscle he carried or the natural grace in which he stood and moved.  He was a near perfect creation.  Perhaps that was why Lex had not recognized him:  he was something new the Royalty had made in their vain struggle for perfection.  Maybe the struggle wasn’t so vain after all.

Lex swallowed the knot in his throat and realized he was staring.  He dropped his eyes and felt heat flood his face.  He found that in conjunction with his embarrassment was a feeling of confusion.  He had never reacted this way around another person before.  Not even in the halls of junior high or at the semi-formal dance in 11th grade when Desma Soana had admitted in front of the entire school that she had a crush on him.  Lex had thought he might one day feel this kind of awkward embarrassment, but he certainly hadn’t thought it would be a man that evoked such a feeling.

“Are you okay?” asked the stranger.  His voice was calm and soothing, and yet emotionless at the same time.

Lex looked up and then away again.  “Yes.  I’m sorry I ran into you.  I had my mind on other things and wasn’t paying attention.”

The man tilted is head slightly and smiled a smile that was just too perfect.  “What did you have on your mind?”

Lex was surprised by the question.  Usually the other person would apologize as well and then claim responsibility.  This man seemed to be okay with laying the blame on Lex and unabashedly showing his curiosity in Lex’s personal affairs.  Lex felt his brows rise in amusement, and he also became aware that he was eye to eye with the stranger again.  This time he maintained the contact and answered with a stronger voice.

“I was thinking about my fiancée.  About how our marriage is for convenience, but not love.”

The man allowed a proper amount of concern to fill his features.  “But I heard you laughing.  Surely, that seems like a regrettable situation.”

Lex shrugged.  “It’s what we both want.  We’re kind of . . . different from everybody else.  So we decided to be different together.”

“How are you different?”

Lex allowed a playful smile to curve his lips.  He was willing to be honest with a stranger due to his curiosity, but there was no need to give everything away all at once.  “Well, you know, everybody is different in their own way.”

The man’s smile became more natural, more real.  “I suppose we are.  Although some may be more so than others.”

“I completely agree,” Lex said, remembering the initial feelings that had washed over him when he had touched the man.  “Who are you?  You aren’t from Corporda.”

“Who are you?  A member of the Defense System?”

“No.”

“Then how could you recognize that I’m not a subject of this kingdom if in fact I’m not?”

“Because—” Lex paused.  He wasn’t sure.  He knew that the only people who had the power to tell friend from foe were those who were found to possess that skill during the screening process.  But, he had somehow been able to feel the differences in people all his life—though he did not have the training or knowledge to understand what those differences meant.  He had taught himself a little by correlating certain feelings with people whose station in life he definitely knew.  Due to his extensive physical contact with Saccade, he could now easily recognize other watch guards and spies.  But how he could do this if he had failed the screening, he was completely in the dark.

Lex realized he was taking too long to answer and opened his mouth to say anything but the stranger beat him to it.

“Well, we all have secrets as well as differences.  And a person with no secrets is just as suspect as a person with too many secrets.”

Lex smiled.  For once there was a person who did not demand an answer to every question.  Very regrettably, Saccade was much like his mother in that respect.

“So, what are you doing in Corporda?”

“Talking to a handsome young man.”

“I mean, why are you here?”

“Why are any of us here?”

Lex groaned.  “God, please don’t get started on philosophy.  I can’t stand the stuff.”

“Spoken like a true subject of Corporda.  You are told what to think, so there is no need to philosophize.”

Lex bit his lower lip.  He’d never thought of it like that before.  Maybe because he’d never been given the opportunity to truly think for himself.  The man laughed and it put a crack in his perfect façade: it sounded unnatural for him.

“I better stop right there before I get arrested for corrupting the youth.  I hear your jails are quite…stringent.”

“Yes,” Lex murmured, his thoughts elsewhere.  He snapped back to the present and remembered why he had come to the park in the first place.  “I’m sorry, but I have a date tonight and I meant to buy some flowers before I met her.”

“I hope the ‘her’ is your fiancée.”

“Oh, yes, it is.  I like her a great deal.”

“Then I must let you go, and rely on Sulcal to keep me company.”

“Sulcal?” Lex asked, completely thrown.  “You’ve heard of Sulcal?”

“Of course.  I find his theories interesting, but at the same time I must be fair and admit that he stole most of them from Gyrise.”

Lex felt his jaw drop.  “You _understood_ Sulcal well enough to recognize the line of Gyrise insanity running through it?”

“Yes.  Did not, you?”

“Well, yeah.  But, I’ve only met a handful of people who have even heard of Sulcal, and only one of them even had a clue as to what he was saying!  Tell me, what did you think about his theory of Different Similarities?”

“Ah, so you _do_ think.”

“Well, yeah, but, I mean—” Lex broke off and felt heat flood his face again.  Why was he so embarrassed?

“Perhaps we can talk about Sulcal and Gyrise together some other time, but I believe you have an appointment with a young lady.”

“Oh, yeah, yeah.  I, uh, I’ve got to go.”

“Good luck,” the man said and proffered his hand.  Lex looked at his hand, afraid to ruin the moment by feeling the danger wash over him again.  He extended his arm and grasped the stranger’s hand.  He felt the extreme sense of foreignness about the man, but it was not as urgent as before, though it still felt of danger.  He held onto the man’s hand in order to try to determine something else about his character.  He noticed the stranger continued to grasp his hand just as firmly, an undercurrent of puzzlement moving in his eyes.

Finally, after a somewhat prolonged handshake, they released each other.  Lex smiled and bolted away, afraid that the man might think him strange. Well, stranger than he already must.  He left the canopy of trees and felt the sunlight fall on him, warming his skin.  Lex was tempted to look back, but he refrained.  And he realized suddenly that he had not asked for the man’s name.

* * *

 

Aiden smiled as he watched the youth jog away.  He had been a very interesting boy: clearly smarter than the vast majority and very talented.  Aiden was confused by the boy’s ability to read people even though he was not a member of the Defense System.  At first he had thought that the boy had merely slipped passed the screening process or that his abilities had developed later.  When he had shook the boy’s had, he had held on in order to find that tag or marker that indicated what kind of soldier he might be, but he had found none.  Aiden was aware the boy had the ability, but he couldn’t recognize what kind.  And as a result he would never be able to take over the youth’s mind.  Without that marker as an anchor, he couldn’t latch onto the boy or attack him in any manner.  Well, other than physically, of course.  But, Aiden didn’t think that would be necessary.  The boy was not a member of the Defense System and as such had no training.  Therefore his abilities, if he did in fact have any, were useless.

“Excuse me, sir?”

Aiden turned and saw a man in the white uniform that was characteristic of the Defense System.  From the decorations hanging from the soldier’s shoulder, Aiden assumed the man to be of a low rank.  But then again, the Defense System had been known to purposely conceal their rank by appearing to be lowly petty officers.  The soldier seemed to be quite concerned with Aiden’s presence and only a soldier with a great deal of experience could recognize him for what he was without actually touching him.

“Sir, may I see your ID card, please?”

Aiden smiled and the pleasant innocence of the expression disarmed the soldier.  His steps slowed and he approached Aiden with less hostility.  Aiden made a show of looking through his pockets.

“I am sorry, sir, it is right here I believe.  I will find it in a moment.  But, my name is Aiden, a pleasure.”

Aiden stuck his hand out and the soldier reflexively reached for it.  The soldier’s eyes widened as Aiden’s fingers slid around his hand, securing their contact.  Aiden felt the tag marking the soldier as a member of the Combat Detail Four.  Before the soldier could even realize he was in danger, Aiden already had him under his control.  The soldier fell to his knees as his brain was suddenly shut down and all his cognitive functioning was reversed.

Aiden let go of the soldier’s hand and he slumped closer to the ground, clutching his head in agony.  Several minutes passed before the soldier felt steady enough to stand.  Aiden offered a hand and helped the new member of the Revisionists to his feet.  The soldier immediately acknowledged Aiden as his superior and accepted his new orders without question.  The man in the white uniform walked off to begin his mission.

Aiden sighed.  It was so easy it was almost pathetic.  Why had they never been able to destroy this weak kingdom before?  It was insulting really that these fragile, pathetic weaklings had managed to survive as long as they had.  Aiden slid a hand into his pocket and moved on.  There was more mischief to be had before the mayhem could begin.

 

* * *

 

“Lex?”

Lex shook himself from his thoughts and looked up at Saccade.  She had a concerned look on her face where he had been expecting annoyance.

“I’m sorry, what were you saying?”

“Clearly nothing very engaging.  What’s wrong?  You’ve been somewhere else all night.  Did you have a fight with your mom or something?”

“No, no, nothing like that.  I just met someone today and it was a strange encounter.”

“Oh?  Strange how?”

“Well, for one thing, he’d heard of Sulcal and Gyrise.  You’re very smart and well-educated, but you’ve never heard of them, have you?”

“Can’t say that I have, but I’m relieved that it’s a ‘he’ you met.”

Lex grinned at his fiancée.  “One: I’m offended that you don’t trust me enough to talk to another woman without assuming I might follow my secondary brain after her.  Two: how do you know I wouldn’t be tempted to follow my secondary brain after a man?”

“Because you like breasts too much.”

“True, it is a bit of a fetish, isn’t it?”

They both laughed and Saccade settled back in her dining room chair.  They had decided to stay in for the night and cook for themselves.  Neither of them being very adept in the kitchen, they had bungled and experimented and giggled their way through a three course meal.  It had amazingly turned out edible and they had spent the last hour in Saccade’s dining room with the lights turned down low and candles creating mood.  Unfortunately, Lex had been distracted for most of the meal.  Saccade was now determined to make Lex focus completely on her.

Lex watched his fiancée stand up, stretching and pulling her tight, black dress even tighter, outlining her many fine attributes.  Lex automatically stood and followed her into the dark house.  The sun had set since dinner began and they hadn’t turned on any lights.  Saccade slowed so that Lex could catch up to her and then pressed herself back against him.  Lex wrapped his arms around her middle and laid his lips against her neck.  Saccade knew she wouldn’t make it to the bedroom, so she turned abruptly in Lex’s arms and pulled him onto the couch.  She ran her fingers through his hair, pulling out the rubber band and letting it fall loose.  She used her grip to guide him to her and captured his lower lip with her teeth.

They both sat up startled, hearts thumping, as a brick came crashing through a window.  Through the opening they could hear screaming and shouting and the panic of chaos coming from outside.  They remained on the couch for a few moments, frozen in confusion and mounting fear.  Finally, Lex stood and while telling Saccade to call the Defense System, walked carefully to the front door and cracked it open.  Then he opened it wider in surprise.

Outside was a full blown riot.  Cars were overturned, small fires dotted the night, and people ran every which way with various electrical appliances tucked under their arms.  Lex took all this in, not quite understanding what had caused this very atypical behavior in the Corporda residents.  Then he saw them.  Three men dressed in thin, light weight armor were running from house to house and attacking anyone who crossed their path.  They’d grab their targets by an arm, a leg, around the neck, and then after a brief struggle, the victims went limp.  The street was lined with bodies.

Lex looked around at the carnage.  Where was the Defense System?  They should have been here long before now.  Lex felt Saccade come up behind him in the door.  He turned to her and pushed her back inside.

“Stay in here.  You can’t fight these guys.  All they have to do is touch you.”

“Lex, you can’t—”

“Stay inside!”

Lex slammed the door shut and ran down the flagstone path in Saccade’s yard.  He hung a left at the street and started for the Defense System’s nearest station.  He’d bring the bastards back himself.  Where were they anyway?  The three men either didn’t see him or didn’t care where he was going: there were still plenty others running around the streets, including many children who had left the safety of their homes to escape the fires.

Lex ran half a mile at a near dead sprint, then his fear eased somewhat along with the adrenaline rush.  He pulled up short and bent over with his hands on his knees.  He could feel his heart trying to break out of his chest and the cool air was turning his throat raw from his rapid breathing.  He swallowed with difficulty and started moving again.  Then he saw a flash of white on an adjacent street.  It was the local Defense System’s truck.  And they were heading the wrong way.

“Hey!” Lex shouted and ran after the truck.   He waved his arms in the air and the truck slowed down and stopped.  The driver opened his door and stepped part way out to look at Lex.

“Hey!  You’re going the wrong way!  The attack is back over on Capal Street!”

“Capal Street?”  The driver asked.  “Our directions were so unclear we didn’t even know it was in that area!”

“You’ve got to hurry.  There are three of them.”  Lex reached the truck and looked inside.  Three men sat up front navigating.  The rest must have been in the back.  “Take me with you.  I can lead you.  And my fiancée’s back there.”

“We’re not supposed to—” began a young soldier.

“Come on in,” interrupted the driver.  “I know more or less where Capal Street is, but we can’t trust our GPS right now.”

Lex hopped into the van and pointed a finger.  The van turned around and gunned down the street.  Lex twisted his fingers together, afraid of what might be waiting for him back on Capal Street.  He hadn’t been gone long, but it wouldn’t take much time for Saccade to be captured and killed.

“There!” shouted one of the soldiers.

“How did we miss this?” another cried.

The van screeched to a halt and the soldiers jumped out.  The van was opened and more white clad figures emerged carrying weapons. The officer in command climbed out and surveyed the scene.  The three foreign agents were still working their way up the street.  Lex started for Saccade’s house, but saw that the Defense System was just standing and waiting.

“What are you waiting for?” Lex shouted.

“We need an order,” said a young soldier.

Lex looked back at the commanding officer.  He was looking at a hand held computer with a confused look.

“Sir,” barked a soldier.  “Permission to engage, sir.”

“Hold, soldier.  I’m not sure what would be the best strategy.”

“The best strategy?” Lex asked, mostly to himself.  “What’s going on?  There’s only three!  Just kill them.  Shoot them, stun them!  Whatever!”

“Look son,” said the commanding officer, “you don’t understand the complex intricacies of these types of attacks.  Every attacker requires a different weapon.”

“But, why can’t you just—” Lex was cut off as the officer pushed him aside.  Lex flinched away from his touch:  danger, foreign, infected.  He stared in shock at the officer.  The other defense members knew him, he couldn’t be foreign.  But that feeling just now…

“He’s infected,” Lex whispered.

The officer continued to fiddle with his computer while the invaders continued to attack the citizens.  The soldiers stood around, just waiting for orders.

“He’s infected!” Lex shouted.  “I felt it!  He’s delaying on purpose!”

The soldiers looked from the officer to Lex in confusion.  The officer looked up at Lex and smiled: cold, malicious, and then it changed to irritation.

“Get this civilian out of here.”

Lex dodged a guard and moved to the officer.  He grabbed his arm and gasped at the surge of alarm that poured into him.

“Can’t you tell?!” Lex shouted, panicked.

A young soldier touched the officer.  “I don’t feel anything.  Now, let go.”  He grabbed Lex’s arm and pulled him away.  Lex fought against him and two other soldiers joined in restraining him.

“Stop!  Why are you attacking me?  You’ve got to help _them_!”  Lex screamed and fought wildly.  He had to make them see.  He had to get to Saccade.  He looked up and saw one soldier standing back from the struggle, looking unsure of what to do.

“Please!” Lex pleaded.  “Help them!”

The soldier hesitated only for a moment, and then he grabbed the tiny computer from the officer.  The officer attempted to snatch it back as the soldier punched some keys.  Then the computer let out a soft ding.

“They’re Enez,” said the soldier, “type D bullets can take them out easily.”  He turned to look at the officer.  “Why couldn’t you find them?”

The soldiers and Lex stopped struggling as they waited for the officer’s reply.  He remained silent.  Another soldier stepped forward.

“And why couldn’t you find this area?  You were the one reading the map.  You took us in completely the wrong direction.”

The soldiers began to close in on the officer and he backed up into the truck.  Feeling the net begin to tighten, he panicked and pulled his weapon, screaming suddenly in a language the rest couldn’t understand.  The soldiers were immediately on him, pinning him to the ground.

“You two!” cried the highest ranking soldier, pointing at the two men who still held Lex, “Load up Type D bullets and take care of those three.  Now!”

The soldiers immediately reached for their weapons and went after the invaders.  The senior soldier loaded his weapon with a tranquilizer and shot the officer who had managed to break a soldier’s arm and take a chunk of leg out of another with his teeth.  The officer seized up, and then fell limply to the ground, eyes staring blankly, foam filling his mouth.

The remaining soldiers stepped back wearily, thankful the crazed man had been stopped.  The two soldiers who had been sent to kill the invaders returned.

“Sir, we neutralized all three bogies.  The discharge of our weapons should have alerted the NK’s to come pick up the bodies.”

“Good,” said the senior soldier.  “You there, stay here and watch Officer Lemf.  If he so much as twitches, shoot him dead.  The rest of us will try to get this place back under control until the NK’s and Macros get here.  And you,” he said, looking at Lex, “you wait right here.”

“But my fiancée—”

“I said, you wait here.  Got it?”

“Yeah,” Lex said resignedly.  “I got it.”

 

* * *

 

Sixteen hours later Lex sat in a holding room, working on his fifth cup of coffee and glumly rubbing the sparse stubble on his jaw.  He hadn’t shaved in over twenty-four hours and yet he hardly had reason to.  He wondered if it would ever be possible for him to grow a goatee.

Lex let his hand fall to his lap and became suddenly aware that he really had to use the bathroom.  He still didn’t know if Saccade was even alive, and his mother had probably blown a fuse when she heard about the attack and he hadn’t checked in.  All the Defense System had done was send in person after person and then asked him to write down his feelings on them once they left.

The door to the room opened, echoing dully in the small, high-ceilinged space.  A very high ranking officer strode in the room and sat opposite him.  He had dark hair that was graying at the temples and a lined face that made him look older than he probably was.

“Can I use the bathroom?” asked Lex.

“Soon.  Just a few more questions.  Do you know what you just went through?”

Lex blinked, confused.  “Well, I remember once when I was very young there was an attack in the industrial neighborhood, but I wasn’t—”

“No, I mean, just now.”

“Just now?”  Lex rubbed a tanned arm.  “You mean with the people?  I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”

“That’s called the screening process.  Even though young when we go through it, everybody remembers it.  Why don’t you?”

Lex shrugged.  “Maybe I didn’t go through it.”

The officer remained still.  Then spoke.  “Yes, maybe not.  You did, however, pass this screening with the proverbial flying colors.  Were you aware of your gift?”

Lex shrugged again.

“Well, Mr. Canon, not only do you possess the ability to identify domestic and foreign agents, you apparently can also recognize Revisionist and their victims.”

Lex raised his eyebrows.  “Is that so?”

“It is so.  And since Officer Lemf is infected, that means there is a Revisionist within Corporda’s walls.”

“Geez.  There hasn’t been one of those here in, well, decades.”

“Actually, not quite two decades.  Nineteen years ago the attack was stopped by a man named Lt. Col. Thomas Canon.”

Lex sighed.  “I know.  My stepfather.”

“Your stepfather?”  The officer smiled unpleasantly.  “Yes, she said the same thing.  Col. Canon’s son died from heart complications.  Your half-brother.  Timothy.”

“Yes,” Lex answered, growing more uncomfortable by the minute.

“I’m sorry if I’m making you nervous, Mr. Canon.  It’s just, you’re so different now.”

“Pardon?”

“I met you a long time ago when you were a small child.  Alexander Canon.  Does it bother you to carry the last name of someone who isn’t your father?”

“I don’t have a father.  I have the name of my mother.  If she chooses to go by Canon, I don’t care.  Why am I here?”

“Come now, Alexander, why don’t you tell me?  I’ve seen your records and you are a very smart boy.  Just like the Colonel was.”

Lex gritted his teeth, then consciously let the tension out of his body.  “You want me to train so that I can hunt down the Revisionist and kill him or her.”

“Do you not want to?”

Lex hesitated.  His mother always told him horror stories of the Defense System.  About how they never helped anybody, just got themselves killed.  But that attack would never have gotten so out of control if the Defense System had been able to do their jobs.  The Revisionists could cause serious damage if they got their claws in too deep into the DS.  It could very well result in the destruction of Corporda as he knew it.  And despite its flaws, he loved his kingdom, his family, his friends.  He couldn’t let them get hurt or killed.  He didn’t _want_ to.

“Yes,” he finally answered.  “I want to train.  I want to hunt down the Revisionist and make Corporda safe.”

“I’m glad to hear that.  You can go now.”

“Go where?”

“To the bathroom.”

“Oh, right, I almost forgot.”

Lex laughed and stood to leave.  The officer stood as well and stopped Lex on his way out.

“I can see your mother in you,” he said unexpectedly.  “She was a beautiful woman with dark features.”  The officer lightly placed two fingers under Lex’s chin and forced their eyes to meet.  “You have her eyes.  Though your hair color must come from your father.”

Lex swallowed and shifted slightly so as not to appear to be moving away from the officer’s touch.  “I guess so.  I don’t know.”

“Have you ever seen a picture of Col. Canon?”

Lex shook his head.  The officer nodded and without a word left the bewildered young man alone in the holding room.

 

* * *

 

Lex spread out the white regimentals on his bed.  Boy was his mom going to be mad.  But at least she’d had a week to get used to the idea since he sent her the letter about beginning his training.  He had thought about calling her, but he valued his eardrums too much.  After his meeting with the officer, he had begun training immediately.  He had learned that Saccade had not been harmed in the attack and was therefore able to concentrate fully on his new duties.  Now, a week, later, after a crash course in attacker hunting, identifying, and neutralizing, Lex returned to his house to see his mother and begin hunting the Revisionist.  He should probably give Saccade a call sometime.

“Alexander Canon!”

Lex flinched and turned around.  His mother stood in the doorway, her hands on hips, eyes wild with anger.

“Now, Ma,” Lex started with his hands in the air, “don’t be upset.  This is different.  I _chose_ to enter the DS.”

“But, Alex, you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into!”

“Ma, I’m twenty years old.  I can make my own decisions.”

Mrs. Canon opened her mouth as if to say something and then snapped it shut.  She looked away from her son.

“Mom, I want to do this.  I want to help Corporda and _you_ and all my friends.  I want to save us from the Revisionists.”

“You know, my husband died shortly after saying those words to me.”

“Ma, that was different.  They didn’t know what they were dealing with.  But we do now.  We know to be careful and how to contain them once they’re identified.”

“But, Alex—”

“Everything will be fine,” Lex said, going to his mother and hugging her.  “I promise I’ll come home to you.  But I got to go now.  Hey,” he tilted her chin up.  He didn’t remember her being this small.  “Have a little faith, huh?”

“I do, Lex, I do.  But—”

“That’s a good girl.”

Lex kissed his mother on the cheek and then shooed her out the door.  He couldn’t wait to put his uniform on and go out and become Savior of the World!  Lex paused.  Well, maybe he was getting ahead of himself.

 

* * *

 

Lex felt a little strange now that he was out in public.  The park was crowded and people were looking at him with awe, jealousy, and expectation.  He was used to people looking at him with slightly more improper thoughts.  How sad.

“Ah, the boy wonder.”

Lex turned at the voice.  He saw the handsome foreigner sitting on a bench and immediately blushed.  _Shit_.  Lex shook himself and walked over.

“Hi,” he said shyly.

The man smiled and heat crept into his face, but he managed to keep from blushing this time.

“Well, well, a member of the Defense System?  I thought you said you were not.”

“Oh, I, uh, wasn’t.  But, I am now.”

“An improvement in your social status at the least.”

“Yeah, for real,” said Lex and plopped on the bench beside the man.  He closed his book and crossed his legs to face Lex, hands neatly folded in his lap.  “It’s so cool.  I can’t get pulled over for speeding.  I never have to wait in lines.  It’s great.”

“And in exchange, you help people, right?”

“Yeah.  Exactly.”

“What exactly is the assignment—”

“Wait, first, what’s your name?”

“It’s Aiden,” the man said, holding out his hand.

“I’m Lex,” the younger man replied and grasped Aiden’s hand.  Lex felt relief.  He didn’t feel anything strange.  He felt the same as he did that first day.  Of course, this was their third contact and maybe Lex was simply thinking he was familiar because he had met him before.   _Damn, how can I tell?_

“So, this is it?”  Aiden shifted his grip to Lex’s wrist and held his hand up.  Lex blinked as the man’s face went from polite interest to intense focus.  His thumb slid across Lex’s palm, causing his fingers to splay out.  “All that power,” Aiden murmured, pulling Lex’s hand closer to his face.  “Somehow this hand can determine the fate of other men.”

Aiden closed his eyes and pulled Lex’s hand so that his fingertips rested lightly against the man’s lips.  A new sensation rushed down Lex’s arm to his body that had nothing to do with his gift.  Well aware that he was as red as a stop sign, Lex jerked his hand back so far he nearly fell off the bench.  He righted himself, now completely flustered, and said, “What are you doing?”

Aiden was staring at Lex, his hand still in the air.  Then he lowered his arm and laughed that unnatural laugh.  “Teenaged boys are so much fun.”

Lex scowled but couldn’t get the blood to leave his face.  “I’m not a teenager.  I’m twenty years old.”

“No,” said Aiden.

“No, what?”

“You are not twenty.  You have got to be more than a year away from twenty.”

Lex sat forward and thumped his fist on the back of the bench.  “Yes, I am.  My birthday is Nachae 5th, 2536.  And since this is 2556 and Tensor 12th, I’m quite certain I’m 20.”

Aiden grinned.   “No, you are not.”

Lex bristled like an offended cat and Aiden put a hand on the top of his head to soothe him.

“There, there.  Do not get so upset.  I mean no harm.”

Lex tilted his head to get away from Aiden’s touch.  “You’re just calling me a liar, that’s all.”

“Not a liar.”  Aiden stood.  “Just misinformed.  Come with me to the library.  I would like to go through Sucal’s and Gyrise’s works with you.”

Lex looked up at Aiden and kinda wanted to say no.  But his desire to have a real intellectual conversation won out and he stood as well.

“Excellent,” Aiden murmured, and then louder, “Can you show me to the library?”

Lex slapped his forehead with his palm.   “You don’t know where it is?”  Lex sighed and shook his head.  He motioned for the foreigner to follow him and together they left the park.

 

* * *

 

Aiden smiled as the boy worked off his nervous energy by babbling.  He was jumping from topic to topic, occasionally divulging pretty personal information, getting embarrassed for it, and then apologizing for boring him by talking so much.  Aiden kept assuring the boy he wasn’t bored.  And in fact, he wasn’t.  It was also helpful in that, as a result, he didn’t have to talk much about himself.

Lex pointed out which building was the library just as Aiden spotted one of his agents.  He turned to Lex and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“Before we go in, can we try one of those ice cream confectionaries I have heard so much about?”

The boy’s face lit up.  “Sure!  I’ll go get a couple.”

“Allow me to give you some money.”

“No, no.  My treat.  There’s a vendor on the other side of the library.  I’ll be right back!”  And with that Lex jogged off with a wave.

As soon as Lex rounded the corner, Aiden walked to his agent who sat on the steps of the library.  The man stood up at attention.

“At ease,” Aiden said and the agent stood down.  “Right now I will be taking Corporda’s Revisionist Detecting Agent into the library for several hours.  I expect you to use this time wisely.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good,” Aiden said as he turned away.

“Sir,” the agent said hesitantly, “permission to speak freely?”

Aiden turned back, hands clasped behind his back.  “Granted.”

The agent looked to the side.  “I know you can’t turn him, but he clearly trusts you.  Why not, instead of just taking him out of the equation for a few hours, take him out permanently?  I’m certain you can kill him before he realized what was happening.”

 _Because I do not wish that_.  Aiden ignored that thought and said, “I have reasons.  We might be able to manipulate him into fingering uninfected Defense System members and then they will remove their own defenses.”

“Oh.”

Aiden raised his arm and pointed in a direction.  “Go that way and recruit more agents.  Don’t salute.  Just walk away.”

“Yes, sir,” the agent said and walked in the direction Aiden had pointed.  Aiden turned and met Lex halfway in front of the library doors.  Lex handed him a cup of small cold, colored balls.

“Who was that?” asked Lex.

“Just someone asking for directions.  I hope I did not send him the wrong way.”

Lex laughed and took a bite of his ice cream.  “Try it,” he encouraged.  Aiden picked up the spoon and took a bite.  It was cold.  And when the immediate shock of the cold wore away, there came a sweet, pleasant flavor.  He smiled as the dots melted in his mouth, spreading the flavor.

“I like it,” Aiden said.

Lex smiled back.  “Good.  I’m glad.”

 

* * *

 

Saccade palmed her cell phone in her pocket.  It had been a week since the attack and she hadn’t heard from Lex at all.  She had called his house and his mother had rather hostilely informed her that he had begun training for the Defense System.  But how could that be?  He didn’t have the gift if he had failed the screening.  Saccade shook her head and walked slowly home.  He must still be training if he hadn’t called her yet.  She hoped he was okay.  Maybe he had gotten infected by something terrible and the training was just a cover up while they experimented on him.  _Oh, Lex_.  And then she saw him.  Saccade did a double take and saw that it was in fact her fiancé walking down the steps of the library.  And he wasn’t alone; a tall, very attractive man walked beside him.

_What the—?_

Saccade made her way toward the two men and tried to keep her jaw from hanging open as the taller man slid a hand behind Lex’s neck.  Lex laughed at something and the stranger smiled tightly as he led her fiancé down the stairs.

“Lex!”

Lex looked up at her voice and a smile spread across his handsome face.  It had been so long since she had seen him.  She wasn’t usually one who got emotional, but she found herself running toward him, arms open, and tears forming at the corner of her eyes.  She crashed into him and he held her up, wrapping his arms around her.  She hadn’t realized how much she had missed him; how much she had missed the feel of him, the smell of him, the sound.  She buried her face into his shoulder and listened to his strong, soft voice murmuring comfort in her ears.

_This is bad.  He matters too much to me.  I really do love him._

“Saccade, are you okay?  They said you were unharmed in the attack.”

Saccade pulled back and looked at him.  He looked a little strange in the DS uniform.

“I-I’m okay.  I wasn’t hurt.  But, I didn’t know what had happened to you.  I’ve been worried sick for a week!  They even sent me home early today because I’m being so useless.”

Lex cupped her face with his hands and leaned down to give her a peck on the lips.  “Poor Saccade.  I’m so sorry.  The DS took me to their headquarters and wouldn’t let me leave.  I just saw my mother this morning.”

Saccade nodded and glanced at the strange man who stood motionless next to Lex.  She couldn’t stop the sudden stab of jealousy that arose because Lex had spent time with this man rather than come to see her.  But they had been coming from the library, maybe it had just been a chance meeting.  Lex seemed to notice her gaze.

“Oh, I’m sorry.  Let me introduce you.  Aiden, this is my fiancée, Saccade.  Saccade, this is Aiden.  He’s studying at the Institution for the summer.”

“Hi,” Saccade said, not exactly in her friendliest voice.  She shook the man’s hand and he smiled condescendingly at her.  She jerked her hand back.  Lex was oblivious.

“Do you have to go home tonight?  You can come back with me,” she said, focusing on Lex.

“Yeah, maybe I can.  I don’t have to report in to the DS or anything, but I promised my mom I’d come home.  Maybe you could come have dinner with us?  I think it’s time you two had a real conversation.”

Saccade tried not to show her disappointment.  Lex’s mother was very important to him and she should try to make friends with her, but Saccade wanted Lex to herself tonight.  She glanced at the stranger and he was smiling at her like he knew everything.

“Is there something funny?” she snapped.  Lex went from pondering what they should do about dinner to surprised confusion as he looked from Saccade to Aiden.  How could someone so smart be so clueless sometimes?  Aiden’s smile became irritatingly amused.

“Well, it is a little funny.  I can see that you are trying to get married before you get too old so that you do not stand out…but will not marrying someone ten years your junior,” here he placed a hand on Lex’s head,  “make you stand out just as much?”

“What?” Saccade asked, taken aback that he knew so much.  Had Lex told him all this?

Lex turned under Aiden’s hand to glare up at him and his blonde hair stuck out at wild angles from under the man’s fingers.

“How many times do I have to tell you?  I’m twenty.”

The stranger’s smile became friendly as he bent down close to Lex’s face.  “No, you are not.  I am hesitant to even believe you are eighteen.  Do you have no one else to whom you can compare your age?”

Lex started with, “My big brother…no, my younger…brother—” and then he broke off, looking down with creased brows.  Saccade could see his mind working furiously behind his troubled eyes.  He looked up suddenly, looking completely past her.

“I have to go,” he muttered.  “I have to go.”

“Lex, wait,” cried Saccade as he moved past her.

“I’m sorry.  I have to go.  I’ll call you later.”

“Goodbye, Lex.  It was pleasure,” called Aiden.

Lex looked back over his shoulder.  “Bye, Aiden.  I’ll see you again!”

He started to jog, and then began to run, quickly disappearing into the park.  Saccade looked back at Aiden.  He smiled, but did not bother with a parting remark.  He continued down the steps of the library and left Saccade alone, steeped in the deep red light spilling out from the setting sun.

 

* * *

 

Lex’s heart was straining, his lungs burning, his muscles aching, but he didn’t feel any of it.  He just ran…ran toward his house, his mother.  He ran toward what he thought would give him an answer.

It had just slipped out of his mouth, completely natural.  My big brother.  But, he _was_ the big brother.  It kept rolling in his mind:  My big brother.  My big brother.  Alex.  And the DS building, he remembered it.  And the soldier in the bright, white uniform.  And that night.  That night they had forced his mother to go and the game they were playing.  They were playing pretend.  And the words he remembered saying, “Mommy, how long do I have to pretend to be Alex?”

Pretend to be Alex.

The sudden stop as Lex slammed into his front door, trying to open it, made him acutely aware of the pain in his body.  He fell to the floor of the living room, holding his chest and struggling for breath.

“Alex!” he heard his mother gasp.  She ran to him and knelt at his side.  “What’s wrong?  Alex, what’s happened?”

“Alex!” Lex managed to gasp out.  He took a few moments to get his breathing reasonably under control.  “Alex.  No, no.  Alex died.  We played a game.  It was just supposed to be a game.  Mom, what have you done?”

Mrs. Canon fell back in surprise.  She sat on the floor, staring at her son.  Lex couldn’t tell if she was just surprised that he had figured it out or if she was planning a way to make him believe he was Alex again.

“Why, mom?  Why would you do that?!”

“To protect you!”

“Protect me?  From what?  How can making me believe I’m someone else ever help me?”

“Because, Al—Because you’re Thomas Canon’s son.  And I was afraid you had the same gift.  I’d lost my husband and my son.  I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you too.”

Lex put his head in his hand.  “So, you said I was Alex because he had already failed the screening.  But why did you keep up the charade?”

“Because I knew they would be watching us.  And if they even suspected you were Timothy, they would have taken you away.”

_Timothy.  That was my name._

“You were barely three at the time.  You barely remembered your brother and you adopted his name immediately.  After a while, it became obvious that letting you believe you were Alex would be better than telling you the truth and then forcing you to lie and pretend you were Alex everyday.  I’m sorry.  I didn’t want to hurt you.  I swear I thought I was doing what was best for you.”

Lex groaned and sat back, resting on his hands.  He looked up at the ceiling.  Not to be flippant, but it really wasn’t that bad.  He was still the same person no matter what his name was.  And the statute of limitations for not turning a child over for screening had expired long ago, so his mom was safe.  But there was one thing that was bothering him.

“How old _am_ I?”

Mrs. Canon looked at the floor.  “You just turned 18 last month.”

Lex nodded.  Well, that explained a few things.  Being small the few years he was actually in school.  Still not really needing to shave.  Lex laughed to himself.  He’d lost his virginity when he was 14…to an 18 year old.

 _Oh, man.  It’s a good thing I’m emotionally stunted or this might really be a problem for me_.

“So,” Lex said, “should I start going by Tim?”

“No,” Mrs. Canon said forcefully.  “No one else needs to know.”

“Mom, my commanding officer already figured it out.  I didn’t get it at the time, but I guess I must really look like Thomas Canon.”

“Yes,” his mother murmured, “you do.”

They sat in silence for a few moments.  Then Lex’s pager went off.  He pulled it from his belt and checked the number.

“I gotta go, Ma.  I’ll see you later.”

 

* * *

 

Iris and Olla chewed their salads as quietly as possible.  They were afraid to bother Saccade.  Her face was dark and her fork stabbed her lettuce viciously.  She might very well turn that fork on them.  They thought it better to wait until she exploded.

“How could he?!” she shouted and threw her fork down.  She lowered her voice, but lost none of her anger.  “I have been so patient.  He’s so busy saving the kingdom.  And don’t get me wrong, he’s doing a good thing.  He’s caught five agents in the last four weeks, but he can’t be doing it 24/7!  He never calls, he never drops by to see me.  And he’s asked to postpone the wedding.  How could he?”

Iris and Olla looked at each other.

“Well,” ventured Iris, “maybe he’s trying to do what he thinks is best for you.  If he’s not around now and you’re upset that you don’t see him, how will you feel if you’re married and he’s still not around?”

Saccade crossed her arms.  Iris had a point and she hated it.  “But, he can’t do this forever.  Why can’t he—”

“Saccade,” interrupted Olla, “there’s a Revisionist agent in Corporda.  He’s turning our own DS against us.  Lex can’t stop until they’re gone or it could be the end of us all.”

Saccade looked away from her friends in annoyance.  She knew they were right, but she had just come to realize just how much Lex meant to her, and she wanted him back.  And then she saw _him_.  Saccade stood up and walked away, ignoring her friends’ inquiries.  She caught up to him as he made his way down the sidewalk.

“Where is he?”

“Well, good afternoon,” Aiden smiled pleasantly.  “How are you?”

“Where is Lex?”

“He is not with me as you can see.  So, how should I know?”

“Because you’re controlling him.  You’re always with him.  You’re always sending him places.”

“Jealous?”

“You must be confused,” she said icily.  “Lex doesn’t like men.”

Aiden stopped walking and looked at her.  “I was simply referring to my alleged monopolization of his time.  It seems that it is you who is confused about Lex’s feelings toward me.”

“Lex is just a stupid kid.  No matter how smart he is, he’s too sweet and trusting.  I’ve been keeping tabs on you.  You don’t study at the Institute and you seem to have had contact with some of the DS agents who have been infected by Revisionists.”

Aiden smiled brightly.  “I thought I was being followed!  But you are very good at your job.  I had no idea it was you!”

“Drop the act.  Why are you here?”

Aiden turned and started walking again, but the action was slow enough for Saccade to realize he wasn’t trying to get away.   She fell into step with him again.

“Do you think I am a Revisionist?”

“I don’t know.  I want to say no because Lex doesn’t seem to think you are.”

“And if anyone should know, it would be him.”

“Yeah, but sometimes he lets his emotions rule his reason.”

“You really think that?”  Aiden asked with a laugh.  “You do not know him at all.”

“And I suppose you do?”

“Apparently better than you.”

Saccade stopped and grabbed his arm to force him to face her.  She opened her mouth to lay into him, and then a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.  She looked at Lex in surprise.  He pulled her a little way from Aiden and then put himself almost between them.  He met her eyes and held them for a long moment, but she was unsure what he was trying to say to her.  He turned to Aiden, but she had some things to say to him.

“Lex, what the hell is your problem?  Is it really that difficult to call or write a simple e-mail?  The only contact I’ve gotten from you in the last two weeks was to tell me you wanted to postpone the wedding.  And yes, I’m doing this right here and now in public because God knows when I’ll see you again.

“What’s more, your mom has started calling _me_ asking about you.  Are you not talking to her either?  That’s a nice trick when you live together.”

“I moved out,” Lex said flatly.

Saccade blinked.  “What?”

“Every time I was home she kept trying to get me to quit.  It got on my nerves, so I moved out.  I haven’t seen her in a while.  And I’m sorry I haven’t seen you; I’m just busy.  But, it’ll all be over soon.  We’ve got a plan.”

“A plan?” Aiden inquired.

“But for all that you’re busy,” Saccade said angrily, “you couldn’t take a day, an hour to come see me?  If you wanted to see me I’m sure you could make the time.”

“Well, yeah, but…”

Lex trailed off and Saccade took a step away, taken aback.  “But what?  You don’t want to?  You don’t _want_ to see me?”  Her voice softened.  “Lex, what happened?”

Lex sighed.  “Saccade, it was just a ploy.  They haven’t said anything about you not being married yet.  They don’t care.  And I just wanted to get away from my mother.  I’ve managed to do that now, so the marriage isn’t necessary.  You’re free, you know.  Now you can marry whomever you want.”

“But I want to marry _you_!”

Aiden looked at his watch and Lex said, “Oh.”

“Oh?  That’s all you can say?”

Saccade felt her chest tighten and tears pricked her eyes.  This wasn’t happening.

“Well, maybe after this is all over, you and I can…date,” he finished lamely.

The three stood in silence for several minutes as people passed them on the sidewalks.  Saccade couldn’t get her mind to grasp the fact that she’d finally found someone “special” to her, and he didn’t care.  At all.

“It would be weird though, Saccade.  I am only 18 after all.”

Saccade looked up.  She’d read the story about Mrs. Canon’s deception in one of the tabloids, but she hadn’t believed it.  And now Lex was confirming it.  Her mind was mush.  She couldn’t think straight.  All she knew was that she didn’t want the smug bastard foreigner to witness her grief and confusion.  She turned and ran.  And never spoke with Lex Canon again.

 

* * *

 

“Are you sure you are all right?” asked Aiden.  “That was a tense, emotional moment this afternoon.”

Lex looked up from the maps he had spread out on the table.  Aiden was sitting in a chair at the end of the table, as elegant as ever.  Looking not innocent, but not guilty either.  He looked average; like he could fit in anywhere.

“I’m okay,” Lex answered.  “I guess I had affection for her, but no real attachment.  My mother taught me to be independent and to take care of myself.  I was always afraid that people would hurt me if I let them in, so I kept my distance.  And it’s worked:  I’ve never been hurt or taken advantage of.  It’s nice to be self-reliant.”

“Self-reliant,” Aiden murmured as he watched the boy work.  “You remind me of a character I read about in a book when I was a little younger than you.”

Lex put his elbow on the table and then rested his chin in his palm.  “What book?”

“Oh, I have long since forgotten the title.  I just remember that it was a _very_ long book for such a short story.  In the book, a woman who had been betrayed by her lover raised a young girl to think that emotions were unnecessary.  She delighted in watching the girl tease the protagonist, get him to fall in love with her, and then turn away from him, breaking his heart because she didn’t care for him.  The old woman was pleased, but unfortunately, her scheme had worked too well.”

“I think I know the ending.  She had taught the girl not to love anybody, and as a result she didn’t even love the old woman who’d raised her.”

“Exactly.  She ended up nearly dying because she accidentally set fire to her house in her rage and agony and could not escape.  I forget how she did survive.”

Lex smiled.  “Well, I don’t think my mom would do anything that stupid.  But,” Lex stood, “speaking of stupid, it would be just that for non-Corpordons to stay in the Kingdom for much longer.”  Lex began to roll up his maps.  “There’s a plan being devised by the DS system to bring down the Revisionists once and for all.”  He snapped a rubber band around the rolled up paper.  “Any foreigners around during the raid could be arrested, or worse yet, shot on site.”

Lex walked to stand by Aiden.  He put a hand under the right side of the man’s jaw and lifted slightly, causing their eyes to meet.  Lex withheld his sigh.  Aiden was a smart man.  He just hoped he wasn’t too smart for his own good.

“I think it would be best if you left Corporda before the end of the week.”

Lex let his fingers trail along Aiden’s skin as he took a couple steps back.  Then he turned and walked out of the study room and into the main lobby of the library.  He needed to get to the DS HQ.  It was time to begin.

 

* * *

“Alright,” Lex murmured as he circled the group of DS agents, touching each of them lightly, “this is it.  The rest of the soldiers in your individual units do not know about this particular mission.  Everyone will be deployed tonight for sweeps of the Kingdom.  At 8:03 p.m. a foreign agent will be released in Sector Twelve.  We will send an identical signal to every commanding officer with exact directions to the location.  If the commanding officer claims his communicator is not working, contact me immediately and I will determine if there is a malfunction.  For _any_ other excuse for a delay, use your Type L bullets that have been issued to you and shoot him dead.”

Lex completed his circuit, satisfied that none of the soldiers were infected.  He hadn’t expected them to be.  Revisionists turned ranking members and killed common foot soldiers.  It was that feature that made this mission possible.  But of course, you never know.

“Any questions?”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

“Soldier?”

“What if our fellow soldiers don’t understand what we’re doing and try to attack us?”

“Well,” Lex mused, “that is a risk to be undertaken by this mission.  My only advice is to push the panic button on your communicator, disarm yourself, don’t fight back, and wait for me to show up.”

“Yes…sir.”

“Excellent.  This is for family, friends, and country.  And if you couldn’t give a shit about any of that, this is for you.  Because the Revisionists will kill you all.  Unless we kill them first.  Move out!”

 

* * *

 

Lex perched on a wooden crate in the industrial neighborhood, listening to his walkie-talkie crackle as various troops reported in either at the attack site or in confirmation of a downed agent.  A few of the Revisionists had attempted to run when they realized they were being played.  But the residents of Corporda themselves rose up to help the DS agents and the invaders were quickly, and usually painfully, dispatched.  The Revisionists had been successfully identified and eliminated.  The only threat that could possibly remain would be the true Revisionist that had invaded them in the first place.  And Lex hoped he had left a week ago.  But just in case…

Gravel crunched under expensive shoes and Lex looked to his left.  Aiden stopped ten feet away from him.  Lex sighed.  Then he hopped off the crate and pointed his gun at his friend.  Aiden smiled perfectly calmly.

“How long have you known?” the older man asked.

“Just a couple weeks.  But, I always suspected.”

“I guess my downfall was my own vanity.  I thought I could think of every move you would make.  I did think about the possibility of you designing a plan that would risk killing innocent men just to be sure all my agents were gone.  But I did not think you would be willing to do it.”

“I’d shoot my own mother if she were turned.”

“Yes,” Aiden murmured.  “I realize that now.  I should have killed you that day.”

“Yes, probably.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful you didn’t, but your affection for me led directly to this.”  He paused.  “I’m afraid you won’t find that I’m so weak.”

Lex saw Aiden’s body stiffen, and then he lowered his weapon.  It was an old-fashioned revolver with only six chambers.  Lex opened the gun and removed one bullet.  Then he spun the chambers and clicked the gun back into place.  He pointed it at Aiden again.

“I’m going to give you two choices.  One, you come with me now without resistance, and you’ll be kept by the DS so that we can learn more about the Revisionists.  Or you can take your chances with the gun.  If you get lucky, I’ll let you walk out the way you came in.  Although you will be a wiser man and never return to Corporda.”

“Aren’t you supposed to remove _all_ the bullets, but for one?”

“We’re playing by my rules now.”

Aiden nodded.  “So, I have a choice of a lifetime of being tortured and experimented on, or a seventeen percent chance of walking out of here alive.”  He looked at Lex with a mockery of betrayed anguish.  “Lex, I thought we were friends.”

“Where do you think the seventeen percent came from?”

Aiden smiled, calmly, serenely.  Lex felt his heart tighten and he tried to maintain his even breathing.  But, all Aiden could see was Lex’s hardened eyes.

“What’s your choice, Aiden?”

Aiden exhaled, and then drew breath to respond.

 

END.


End file.
